30 Things to Accomplish Before Turning 30

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Just in case you missed my previous post (due to my scheduling / posting error), here it is again

Take care of your body
- Eat well, drink water and work out. Make this a sustainable lifestyle adjustment. Fall in love with exercise – it will benefit you physically, mentally and emotionally. Also, you may make new friends in the process, will have a banging body, boost your self-confidence, improve sleeping habits and increase happiness levels. Plus you’ll have fun!
Have a morning routine
- It will stand you in good stead, make you more efficient and set you up for the many epic days you will have. Said routine will also get you through the difficult days – sadly you cannot avoid these.
Pray and read your Bible habitually
- You almost have the praying thing down – albeit totally haphazard and informal, it works for you but a little more consistency wouldn’t kill you. As for the Bible reading, I know you struggle with this but persevere; you never know what you may unearth.
Visit your brother
- He is your only sibling and you love him so need to nurture and maintain your relationship. Plus he’s only one short plane journey away and you love travelling!
Learn how to dance
- Okay so you can dance, but you’re very self-conscious and inhibited. Learn to get go! Who cares if people are watching as long as you’re having fun? Also, get yourself to a dance class and learn a routine; for years you’ve said you can’t do choreography but you can do anything you set your mind to so make it happen!
Write in a journal
- You did this in your earlier years and sporadically last year. Journaling is therapeutic and has always been a cathartic experience for you. It kept you sane when you questioned your place in the world and struggled with your purpose.
Meditate
- Meditation (and apparently yoga), are two of the best stress relievers so why not give it a go? The next time a taxing situation rears its ugly head, try to meditate your way through it, say a little prayer and then get on with life.
Go on a road trip
- You used to love driving. Go get your groove back and drink a few cocktails or glasses of wine with your best friends (not while driving – obviously). It is sure to be filled with many wonderful memories and will bring you closer than ever.
Blog consistently
- You did pretty well in your first year of blogging [on this new platform] but you were coasting. Time to stop second-guessing yourself and write the posts you think about but are scared to publish – sharing is caring.
Host a dinner party
- You like cooking / feeding others and hosting. A dinner party would be lovely so is pretty much a no brainer.
Go skydiving
- I know, it sounds crazy…. Crazy EXHILERATING! You have wanted to do this for quite some time. Grab a friend and do something that you will never forget or better still, go on your own! The adrenaline rush alone can be a life-changing experience!
Fall in love with a man (not a boy)
- You have had your heart broken a couple of times and [unintentionally] broken the hearts of others. Someone who is a much better fit for you is going to come along. The aforementioned unicorn man will love you unapologetically and appreciate you wholeheartedly. He will be someone with vision, ambition and true character. Treasure this man. Treat him well – it will be reciprocated. It is going to be awesome. Be ready.
Turn off the internet
- Not literally of course – metaphorically speaking. A digital detox is long overdue for you. Due to your business you would probably only be boycotting Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp for a few days, or maybe it could be an entire trip where you don’t use the internet / Wifi. The prospect of this does not scare you, but you know it will be a challenge due to your lifestyle.
Go to the theatre and opera
- Stop waiting for people to accompany you. You have been to shows on your own before – granted they were usually poetry and live music events but you can do this alone too. Indulge one of your favourite pastimes and just go.
Hula hoop
- You used to hula hoop as a child and it made you smile. Do this regularly – maybe even while watching a movie or listening to music. Not only will it make you happy, you’ll get better and burn some calories at the same time.
Take a spontaneous trip
- One of the best trips you ever had was when you booked a ticket a few weeks before departure and flew half way across the world on your own. There is power, growth and a wealth of discovery in solitude and spontaneity.
See a favourite band or artist live in concert
- Music used to be such a huge part of your life. The euphoria experienced when in the midst of your favourite artist or band, surrounded by likeminded fans is unparalleled. Buy some overpriced merchandise, sing / rap your heart out and take pictures; the experience will be one [of many] to tell your future children.
Complete a marathon
- You started running in 2015 and you were doing okay but then you fell off the wagon. You were built to be a sprinter but proved to yourself that you can run longer distances so go a little further and bag a marathon medal to add to your small collection – you’ve got this!
Read more books
- Not only does reading exercise your imagination and improve your vocabulary but it also makes you a better writer. You are a story teller and story lover. You fall in love with words each time you read a wonderful book. Why wouldn’t you want to feel that regularly?
Redecorate your bedroom
- You are not the same person you were when you moved in, plus you have more money now so make it look how you would love it to look.
Explore your city
- London is pretty high on the list of The Top 50 to See in Your Lifetime and you’re privileged enough to call it home. You have well-known landmarks, street markets, theatres, museums and galleries within easy reach so take advantage of this. A lot of these things you can even do for free – winning!
Learn photography
- This is something you have wanted to take more seriously since your age was still in single digits. You take a lot of pictures and always have done but honing this interest will serve you well. Time to stop talking about it and do it.
Perform internationally
- You started conquering your fear of the stage last year and got the ball rolling – well done, I’m proud of you. However, other people further afield would like to hear your words – don’t limit yourself to home turf.
Learn how to swim
- This one is a bit of a secret for you – most people do not realise that you cannot swim. Well done for not being scared of water but it is a valuable life skill and using your hair as an excuse is ridiculous. People keep saying they will teach you but haven’t. You have found somewhere near you that has classes. Go and learn!
Identify who your real friends are
- Throughout your teens and early twenties, you were intertwined in complex and ever-changing fe[male] friendships. Negotiating the winding roads of contempt, gossip, jealousy and backstabbing gets tiresome. By 30 (at the latest), you should know who is really on your team, and who really needs to go. You entertain too many freeloaders. Time to let go. Your sanity will thank you later.
Read or watch the news (but don’t get stuck in it)
- Despite finding the news rather depressing and exasperating at times, you need to be informed; knowledge is power after all. Being aware of what is going on in the world will help you to form better arguments during debates and back up you views with facts.
Travel more
- Doing this makes you happy. You have seen a lot of the world but there is so much more for you to see, experience, taste, photograph, write about and love. Make this a priority.
Appreciate and embrace your uniqueness
- Leave the anxiety and insecurity of your twenties in that decade – there is little room for them in the next remarkable phase of your life. Be kind to yourself, accept constructive criticism, filter negativity and be confident in your abilities. You’re amazing; other people know this and so should you!
Do 30 days of something
- People claim that it takes 30 days to form a new habit (although you think it probably takes a little more), so choose one (or more) things to commit to and change your habits. At the end of the challenge, decide whether you would like to stick with it.
Fall in love with yourself
- This is probably the most liberating of everything on this list. As you read in another post: “Own your quirks, talents, shortcomings, and strengths; fully and completely. There is no one on this planet quite like you, so love and cherish everything about your fabulous self!” Remember that: “[you] are fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalm 139:4 so whether other people like you or not is irrelevant, as long as you (and your family) like yourself.